Associated Press
The NFL notebook …
MIAMI ó Chad Pennington spent the past day digging through old boxes, scrambling to find old playbooks and information about the offense he ran his rookie year with the New York Jets.
Now, he’ll be running the same offense for East rival Miami, where former Jets offensive coordinator Dan Henning calls the plays.
“On the plan ride over, I was kind of thumbing through it, looking through it, just trying to remember it,” Pennington said. “Some of it sounds familiar, some of it doesn’t.”
The Dolphins are hoping he’s a quick learner.
Pennington, cut by the Jets after they acquired Brett Favre, was formally introduced in Miami after the Dolphins’ 17-6 loss to Tampa Bay late Saturday night. The 32-year-old Pennington, expected to be the starting quarterback for Miami, agreed to a deal Friday worth $11.5 million over two years.
REDSKINS
ASHBURN, Va. ó Rookie Redskins coach Jim Zorn has found a way to win the confidence of his players. He predicted days in advance the plays that would succeed in both of Washington’s preseason victories.
“Coach Z pretty much called out the plays that were going to be the plays that stand out in the game,” running back Clinton Portis said. “That’s two weeks in a row.”
The Redskins improved to 2-0 with Saturday night’s 17-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Starting quarterback Jason Campbell, even though he’s learning a new play book, is 12-for-15 with a 125.6 rating over the two games.
But the players are particularly impressed with Zorn’s knack for knowing which plays will lead to big results. The 12-yard touchdown pass from Todd Collins to Ladell Betts iwas one such call.
“I think it helps the confidence of the team,” Zorn said. “There were a couple of plays during the week that I said, ‘When I get here, I’m calling this play, and it’s going to be successful when I call it.’ And it sort of happened, you know? It did. It happened.”
FALCONS
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ó New Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith said he wasn’t looking for a tie or a moral victory in his team’s preseason opener against Jacksonville.
Smith was looking for a quarterback, and rookie Matt Ryan provided an impressive opening case that he can be the answer.
Ryan led an 11-play, 74-yard touchdown drive against Jacksonville’s first-team defense in the Jaguars’ 20-17 win over the Falcons on Saturday night.
Ryan was 9-of-15 passing for 113 yards and a touchdown, earning compliments from both sides.
EAGLES
BETHLEHEM, Pa. ó Philadelphia Eagles guard Shawn Andrews reported to training camp Sunday afternoon after missing the first 17 days for unexcused personal reasons.
Andrews told two newspapers last week that he was battling depression, which he said started a year ago and had worsened.
BROWNS
BEREA, Ohio ó Browns wideout Braylon Edwards was running a sprint in his socks when fellow receiver Donte’ Stallworth stepped on the back of his foot and opened a cut that required stitches and a night in the hospital.